Gwendoline Jean Plumb AM BEM (2 August 1912 – 5 June 2002), was an Australian performer of international appeal, actress and comedian active in literally every form of the art genre, (except circus) including revue, pantomime, vaudeville, interviewing, game shows, live appearances, compering, radio production, scriptwriting and acting, television soap opera and mini-series and made-for-TV film.

She was considered the "Grand Dame of Australian entertainment", with a career spanning 65 years, in her later years she was best known to local and international audiences in serial The Young Doctors as gossip Ada Simmonds, the ill-fated Richmond Hill as May "Mum" Foote and the pilot of Home and Away as Doris Peters.

She released an autobiography in 1994 called Plumb Crazy.

Early years Plumb was born in 1912, to Charles Thomas Plumb and Ann Eliza (nee Thomas) and had worked in various jobs in her early career including as a typist, shop server and briefly in a chocolate factory, but having a flair for writing, starting to produce radio copy work for an advertising agency, after which she became interested in acting.

Career Radio and theatre Plumb started her acting career in 1930, with the Gwen Meredith Chelsea drama club. She had her first well-known role as Emmie Lawson on The Lawsons and later in the longest-running Australian radio serial Blue Hills, She was very active in the radio industry early in her career and would work in this sector as a producer, scriptwriter and performer and hosted a long-running radio program on Australia's Macquarie Radio Network from 1945 to 1974.

Plumb also had a radio show in Sydney opposite Gordon Chater. She was well known for conducting celebrity interviews, for her own radio show including travelling to Europe to conduct recordings.

Plumb had a long career in the theatre, starting from 1930 and was a cast member of the debut season of the Old Tote Theatre Company, and once quipped that she "played in just about every form of public entertainment except the circus".

Television Plumb appeared in some early Australian drama such as Adventure Unlimited.

She is probably best remembered for the Australian soap opera The Young Doctors as Ada Simmonds for its entire November 1976 – March 1983 run. She released a cook book, What's Cooking with Ada, under her character’s name in 1980. Other notable roles were in the mini-series The Harp in the South and Poor Man's Orange in the mid-1980s. She acted in Neighbours as Mrs. Forbes in 1985, appearing in scenes opposite Alan Dale, with whom she had starred in The Young Doctors.

She later played the key role of in the serial Richmond Hill as Mum Foote in 1988. Having agreed to act in the planned new series, Plumb was offered, and played in the pilot of another proposed series Home and Away as Doris Peters. When Home and Away also went into production, Plumb opted to honour her earlier agreement to do Richmond Hill. The role of Mum Foote had been specially written with her in mind by show creator, Reg Watson. Richmond Hill had a run of just 12 months, and Plumb stayed with the series for all of that time. In 1995, Plumb returned to Home and Away for a number of episodes, playing a different character.

Plumb also appeared in the mini-series Stark, based on Ben Elton's novel of the same name.

Personal life

Plumb's lifelong partner was Australian radio, stage and screen actress Thelma Scott, best known for playing pompous socialite Clair Houghton in the TV series Number 96.

Plumb's autobiography, Plumb Crazy was published by Pan Macmillan in 1994.Plumb crazy / Gwen Plumb

In 1990, Plumb had a large growth removed from her colon and lower bowel. She began rehearsing for a production of Arsenic and Old Lace two months later, which left her exhausted. She felt that she had never fully recovered from the surgery. In April 1996, she fell and broke her pelvis. In September 2000, Plumb fell while she was getting ready for bed and broke her hip. Upon hearing the news, producer and television mogul Reg Grundy filled her hospital room with flowers.

Plumb died on 5 June 2002, aged 89, at her home in Kirribilli.

British and Australian honours Plumb was awarded a British Empire Medal in 1973, and was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1993. Both awards recognised her community and charity work.

Selected radio YearTitleRolec.1940s Blue Hills Emmie1945–1974 Macquarie Radio Network Hostess as herselfunknown years 2GB Radio Show with Gordon Chater Hostess/interviewer

Filmography

Film YearTitleRoleType 1960 The Sundowners Uncredited Feature film 1982 Ginger Meggs Miss Leach Feature film

Television YearTitleRoleType 1958–1963 Women's World Host TV series 1959 A Tongue of Silver Role unknown Teleplay 1960 Venus Observed Role unknown Teleplay 1961 Corinth House Mrs. Heysham Teleplay 1962 Consider Your Verdict Guest role TV series, 1 episode 1962 Jonah Guest role: Lady Jane Franklin TV series, 1 episode 1965 Write Me a Murder Elizabeth Wooley TV film 1965 Adventure Unlimited Guest role TV series, 1 episode "Crocodile" 1965 The Mavis Bramston Show Various Characters TV series 1965 TV Spells Magic Guest (with Max Meldrum, Ron Shand, Ruth Cracknell, Evie Hayes, Wendy Blacklock, David Copping, Kevin Miles, Chips Rafferty & Keith Petersen) TV Special 1966 Wall to Wall Role unknown Teleplay 1966 Australian Playhouse Guest roles: Mrs. Cooper / Elsie Hopewell TV series, 2 episodes "The Prowler" 19661967 Nice 'n Juicy Guest role: Mrs. Withers TV series, 2 episodes 1969 The Don Lane Tonight Show Guest TV series, 1 episode 1969 Gwennie and Noel Host TV series 1970 The Rovers Guest role: Gaylene Higgins TV series, 1 episode 1973 Boney Guest role: Miss Packer TV series, 1 episode 1974 Mac and Merle Lead role: Merle McInerney TV pilot 1975 Celebrity Squares Herself TV series, 1 episode 1976 This Is Your Life Herself TV series, 1 episode 1976–1982 The Young Doctors Regular role: Ada Simmons TV series, 1394 episodes 1977 Bobby Dazzler Guest role: Dinner Guest 1 TV series, 1 episode 1978; 1980; 1981; 1982: 1983; 1984 The Mike Walsh Show Guest TV series, 6 episodes 1980 Telethon '80 Herself TV special 1981; 1982 The Mike Walsh Show Guest TV series, 1 episode 1981 Parkinson in Australia Guest TV series, 1 episode 1981 Go Health Herself with Young Doctors cast: Judy McBurney, Karen Pini, Peter Lochran TV series, 1 episode 1982 The Daryl Somers Show Guest TV series, 1 episode 1985 Neighbours Recurring Guest role: Mrs. Forbes TV series, 10 episodes 1985 The Man in the Iron Mask Peronne (voice) Animated TV film 1986 A Halo for Athuan Lead role: Mother Paul TV film 1987 The Harp in the South Recurring role: Grandma Kilker TV miniseries, 3 episodes 1987 Poor Man's Orange Recurring role: Grandma Kilker TV miniseries, 2 episodes 1987 I've Come About the Suicide Supporting role: Miss Clemesha TV film 1987 The Flying Doctors Guest role: Nellie Keene TV series, 1 episode 1988 Richmond Hill Regular role: Mum Foote TV series, 38 episodes 1988; Home and Away Guest role: Doris Peters TV series, 1 episode 1989 The Bert Newton Show Guest with Barry Crocker & Ronnie Burns TV series, 1 episode 1991 The Seven-Thirty Report Guest - Herself with June Bronhill (Arsenic and Old Lace) ABC TV series, 1 episode 1992 In Sydney Today Guest TV series, 1 episode 1992 A Country Practice Guest role: Morna Peacock TV series, 1 episode 1993 The Late Show Guest TV series, 1 episode 1993 Stark Recurring role: Mrs. Tyron TV miniseries, 3 episodes 1994 Under The Skin Role unknown TV film series, 1 episode "The Family Spirit" 1994 At Home Guest TV series, 1 episode 1994 Today Guest TV series, 1 episode 1994 TVTV Guest - Herself with The Young Doctors cast: Chris King, Tim Page, Diana McLean, Louise Howitt & Darren Gray TV series, 1 episode 1995 Home and Away Recurring Guest role: Elizabeth Clarke TV series, 4 episodes 1997 Where Are They Now? Guest - Herself with The Young Doctors cast: Chris King, Judy McBurney, Mark Holden & Tim Page TV series, 1 episode 1999 Funny By George: The George Wallace Story Herself TV special

References

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